By James Blears
WBC's medical experts are intensfying their research into boxing gloves which prevent brain trauma and protect the hands of fighters.
At the WBC's annual Convention, which is this year being held in Thailand, Dr Clive Noble from South Africa, who leads this research - explained that good cushioning to the fist part of the glove is essential, involving closed cell foam. But he also explained: "There's there's such variation in closed cell foams that we need to get a level, so that we can say, below that level the glove is dangerous, and above that it's fine. What the level is exactly...it's hard to say."
The given recommendations involve the glove having an attached thumb, the fist area should be made of a certain thickness and density of closed cell foam, to be at a certain level.
Dr Noble says testing some of theories which is done on crash dummies involves problems in being extended further. He said: "Unfortunately because we haven't been able to test with knockouts in the professional ring, or any boxing ring, we don't know at exactly what level. But by doing experiments using the hybred test three dummy and animal experiments over many years, we've been able to work out what we think the level is. So we have set certain standards.
"We have to now further investigate by using a glove and by using a hybred three dummy, what effects it will have. In other words, how much cushioning are we going to get. How much reductional acceleration (on impact from a blow, especially a hook to the head) are we going to get. That's what we need to discover and to know."
Dr Noble also advised that wrist support inolvolving a semi rigid portion of the glove could prevent injury to that area. He also said that neck muscle strength and tone are crucial factors for boxers.
Dr Noble concedes that much more testing remains to be done. One aim is for gloved hands to still be able to deliver a knockout, but without causing brain damage.
